The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-01-29
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

phuenC Features OF the Interstate COm-
merce Bill Passed by Both Houses of
Congress and Now Awaiting the Presl-
dents Signature.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22-The Interstate
Commerce bill, as agreed upon by both
Houses of Congress, provides that all
charges made for any service rendered in
The transportation of passengers or prop
erty by common carriers shall be
reasonable and Just, and every
unjust and unreasonable charge for such
service is prohibited and declared to be
unlawful.
Section two makes it unlawful for any
common carrier to charge or receive
directly or indirectly from an persons a
greater or less compensation for any SER
vice rendered in the transportation of
passengers or property than it charges,
or receives from any other person or per-
sons for doing a like and contemporaries
Gus service in the transportation of a like
kind OF traffic under substantially similar
circumstances and conditions.
Section three makes it lawful for any
common carrier to make or give any undue
or unreasonable preference or advantage
to any particular person, company, firm,
corporation or locality or any particular
description of traffic.
Sections four and five (the long and
short haul and pooling sections) are as
follows
SECTION 1. That it shall be unlawful for any
common carrier, subject to the provisions OF
this act, to charge or receive any greater COM
pensation in the aggregate for the transporta-
ton of passengers or Of like kind of property
under substantially similar circumstances and
| conditions for shorter than for a longer dis
lance over the same line in the same direction
the shorter being included within the
longer distance; but this shall not
| be construed as authorizing any common
carrier within the terms of this act to charge
and receive as great compensation for a shorter
! as Tor longer distance; provided, however,
that upon application to the commission APP
! pointed under the provisions OF this act such
! common carrier may in special cases, after in
| Vestigation by the commission, be authorized
to charge less for longer than for shorter dis
tances for the transportation of passengers or
! property; and the commission may from time
to time prescribe the extent to which such
designated common carrier may be relieved
| from the operation Of this section Of this act
SEC 3. That it shall be unlawful for any
| common carrier, subject to the provisions of
this act to enter into any contract, agreement
| or combination with any other common carrier
or carriers for the pooling of freights OF differ.
ent and competing railroads, or to divide
between them the aggregate or net proceeds OF
the earnings Of such railroads or any proper
ton thereof; and in any case of agreement fol
the pooling Of freights as aforesaid, each day OF
its continuance shall be deemed separate
offense.
Section siXrequires that after ninety DAYS
from the paSgaUa Of tho nt ntra,,rv oo7,,,,, ~,
carrier subject to its provisions shall have
printed and kept for public inspection
schedules showing rates, fares and
charges, and in addition to requiring the
railroads to give publicity at all of the
depots on their several lines, it gives au
thority to the commits sion, where it il
proper and necessary, to require then
to give publicity to their rates to otheI
places beyond the lines of their severa
railroads. 1t also provides that the rates
fares and charges shall not be raised ex
cept after ten days of public notice, bu
that they may be reduced without pre-
viOus public notice; the notice, however
shall be simultaneous with the reduction
itself.
Section seven makes it unlawful fo
any common carrier to enter into any
combination or agreement to prevent tn
carriage Of freights from being contnu
Gus from the place of destination.
Section eight declares that any common
carrier violating the provisions Of the ac
shall be liable to the person or persons in
jured thereby for the full amount of dam
ages sustained in consequence of any sue
violation, together with a reasonable
counsel or attorneys fees
The ninth section provides that person,
claiming to have been damaged by the
action of common carriers may proceed
for recovery of their damages either il
the courts of the United States or befor,
the commission, but not before boil
tribunals.
The tenth section makes it a penal of
Tense to violate any Of the provisions O
this act, and puts the maximum of tn,
fine which may be imposed at the sum o.
five thousand dollars.
The seven following sections contain tn
commission features of the bill The
provide for a commission to consist of tiv
persons, appointed by the President by
and with the advice of the Senate, who's
term of Office shall be for six years excep
for the first appointments, which are t
be for two three, four, five and six years
Their principal Office shall be in Washing
ton, but they may hold sessions at othe
places than Washington, and a siugl
member of the commission may take test
mony any where as may be directed b
the commission These commissioner
have salaries of $500 each. The comm
sion has the power to appoin
a secretary with an annual salar
of $500 and has authority t
employ and fix the compensation of sue
other employees as it may find necessar
to the proper performance Of its dutie,
subject to the approval of the Secretar
of the Interior. 1t is also provided tina
nothing contained in the act shall abridg
the remedies now existing at common lay
or by statute.
Section twenty-three appropriates 800
600 for the purposes of the act for tn
fiscal year ending June 30, 1883.
? Section twenty-four provides that tn
} provisions of the sections relating to tn
} appointment and organization Of the con
mission shall take effect Immediately, an
that the remaining provisions Of the az
shall take effect sixty days after il